For too long, debates over international trade have been dominated by corporate elites and economic idealogues, rather than rooted in the experiences of ordinary Americans.
The Trade Stories Project allows people who have been affected by policies and institutions like NAFTA and the WTO to share their views on a matter crucial to the global economy.
This includes displaced workers, farmers, small business owners and immigrants who have been typically excluded from the trade debate.
Olivia Perez
Milbridge, ME
Olivia is a 22-year old immigrant who moved with her mothers and sisters from a rural village in Michoacán, Mexico in 2005 to the small town of Milbridge, Maine. Since her arrival, she has worked in a seafood processing plant, harvested blueberries and worked in a migrant health clinic. She is currently a nursing student.
“We should get rid of NAFTA, at least in Mexico… Look, they can say, ‘Mexico’s ending up with all the jobs,’ but that doesn’t count for much. You go, for example, to where all the manufacturing plants are, and for whatever reason, the workers are getting paid very, very low wages, and lots work more than eight hours a day. Without health insurance… And they’re in an environment that’s not suitable for working. So, they’re not really benefiting either…
“That money that they make? They’re using it to buy things that are sold to them from [the United States]. The companies make the product in Mexico, bring it back to the United States, and then export it back to Mexico. So that same product that you had is sold back to you, and at a much higher price. So what’s the point? …
“I think that NAFTA should be better studied and something needs to be found that benefits both countries.”